Former Prosecutor Named NJ Lt. Governor In Historic Pick

By Lynn LaRowe

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Monday named acting Secretary of State Shirley Emehelu as the state's new lieutenant governor, selecting a former prosecutor to fill the position left vacant when former Lt. Gov. Dale G. Caldwell resigned amid misconduct allegations.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ High Court Disbars Atty Convicted Of $350K COVID Fraud

By George Woolston

An attorney sentenced to 21 months in prison for a wire fraud conviction in a case where he stole nearly $350,000 earmarked for small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic has also been disbarred.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Odor In The Court: Fragrance Cos. Can't End Antitrust Case

By Craig Clough

A New Jersey federal court refused Monday to nix antitrust claims accusing fragrance ingredient-makers of fixing prices, finding the alleged conspiracy was subject to the per se rule despite the companies' supplier relationships with one another.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Quest Pays $13M To End Giants Ticket Kickback Claims

By George Woolston

Quest Diagnostics Inc. has paid $13 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to Medicare and New York and New Jersey Medicaid programs, according to federal prosecutors.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Seek US View On Pharma's Iraq Terror Liability

By Madeline Lyskawa

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday invited the U.S. solicitor general to opine on a lawsuit accusing pharmaceutical companies of aiding a Hezbollah-linked militia's terrorist activities in Iraq, after the D.C. Circuit held the plaintiffs adequately alleged that the companies' participation was conscious and voluntary.

Order List attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Children's Place Hits Ch. 11 With $881M In Debt, Sale Plans

By Alex Wittenberg

Retailer The Children's Place has filed for Chapter 11 protection in New Jersey bankruptcy court with $881.3 million in debt and a plan to sell its assets during the case.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

High Court's H-2A Case Could Reshape Agency Adjudication

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that concerns whether the U.S. Department of Labor may fine an employer for violating employment conditions in the H-2A visa program, but its eventual decision could chart the course for in-house adjudication across a broad swath of the federal government, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

High Court Disbars Judicial Watch Founder Larry Klayman

By David Minsky

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday disbarred Judicial Watch founder and Florida conservative activist attorney Larry Klayman following his 18-month suspension issued last year by the D.C. Court of Appeals. 

Order List attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Firms Must Face RICO Claims In Asbestos Fraud Suit

By Emily Field

An Illinois federal judge on Friday held that Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP and Sokolove Law must face racketeering claims brought by a Los Angeles industrial pipe manufacturer alleging that the firms brought baseless asbestos claims, finding that an antitrust doctrine shielding those who petition the courts does not apply.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ's Civil Division Head Joins Agency Exits After Midterms

By Jack Karp

The leader of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division, Brett A. Shumate, on Monday became at least the fifth top DOJ official to step down following Republicans' defeat in last week's midterm elections.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Eyes OLC Chief For Texas Judgeship After Midterms

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump is considering the head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel for a federal judgeship in Texas, a process that started right after the Democrats won big in last week's midterm elections.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Goldstein Says Gov't Conceded Key Trial Errors

By Jared Foretek

SCOTUSblog co-founder Thomas Goldstein told the Fourth Circuit that the federal prosecutors who netted 12 tax and mortgage fraud convictions effectively conceded they hid evidence by steering a key witness to new testimony mid-trial and had reversed their stance on jury instructions, two key issues in Goldstein's appeal.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AAA Says Consumers' Monopoly Claims Lack Factual Support

By Caroline Simson

The American Arbitration Association is lashing out against consumers who accuse the institution of monopolizing the consumer arbitration services market, telling a federal judge on Monday that they should be sanctioned for including "false, misleading, and unsupported allegations" in an amended complaint.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wash. Panel Nixes $10K Sanctions On Monsanto PCB Attys

By Rachel Riley

A Washington Court of Appeals panel has overturned a combined $10,000 in sanctions against four attorneys who defended Monsanto from chemical poisoning claims, concluding Monday that the trial court overstepped its authority by personally punishing the lawyers for late disclosure of expert witnesses.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court last week cleared the way for Cloudflare Inc. to seek immediate review of an injunction blocking a stock restructuring designed to preserve its founders' control, while setting a January hearing in a similar dispute over Meta Platforms Inc.'s plan to create nonvoting shares.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »